Scream For Absolution
by baignoire
Summary: "And what if I did love you?" He suddenly stood up, his hot breath hitting her face and she couldn't help but shiver under his penetrating stare. "I'd call you a liar and run as far away from you as I could" He smirked at that, but his lips quivered just a little. Leaning into her level, his breath tickled her ear as he spoke: "What makes you think I would've let you?" / OC, Izaya
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Dynasty Decapitated

 _September 2008_

As she sat there in complete and utter silence, her heart pounding with anticipation, she could not help but focus her gaze on the empty chair in beside her. He said he was going to grab them coffee, as he left five minutes ago and yet she felt as if he wasn't going to come back. The lights above her head seemed to be unnervingly bright and probably the only source of light in the almost empty hallway. But then again, she didn't have the intentions of looking around, too scared that she would meet the eyes of the couple that sat across from her, or even the old man standing by the wall. So instead on them, she focused her eyes on the tired looking desk lady. She didn't know any of them either way. But why was she here in the first place?

For a split second, she could not remember, wondering whether her mind was subconsciously trying to erase the horrid memories. She closed her eyes, her hands travelling down her face in an attempt to calm down. She heard steps from the end of the hallway before someone sat on the once empty chair. She didn't have to look up to know who it was.

The smell of caffeine filled her nostrils, but the person beside her didn't say anything. "Can you believe they don't have any vending machines in here" His shaky voice reached her ears, in an attempt to lighten the mood. She could almost see him frown when she didn't respond. "I had to go to the cafe across the street to get it" How could he be so positive, while in a situation like this? But then again, maybe he wasn't. Maybe he was trying to seem strong, despite the fact that everything he wanted to do at this point was scream. But honestly, she doubted it. For it was the same careless Kishitani Shinra, she was talking about. If there was something that he considered worth caring about - other than the headless love of his life - it certainly wasn't this.

"Thank you, Shinra" Her eyes finally snapped open, reaching for the cup he was offering her. As her eyes travelled up to his face, she didn't fail to notice the dark circles under his eyes. His hair was dishevelled and for someone who always seemed like a cheerful kid, he looked like the epitome of a mess. But then again, she doubted she looked much better than him at this point.

He looked as if he was going to say something, when suddenly the door opened, revealing two men wearing white masks.

"Miyazawa Momoko, Kishitani Shinra" The shorter one of them nodded at the two. "Please come in" Momoko couldn't help but gulp, her eyes snapping back to Shinra. As soon as the door behind them closed and the two of them found themselves in a bright room in one of the underground clinics, the sight of a body sprawled on a table in front of them she could not help but fight the urge to vomit.

"Well who did this?" Shinra's voice echoed through the room.

It was interesting that now in this situation he felt as if he had truly let his mask fall to the ground as it shattered underneath his feet. He hadn't felt that way when he should have. So why now? How come he let his guard down for longer than a few seconds - not only because he wanted to, or because of the exhaustion he felt in this particular moment, or even the chaos in his mind at the sight of the stoic-looking man in front of him. So why? Why was he letting _her_ get to him now? What was wrong with him? Probably many things as many people would simply put it. For, Izaya had done a lot of things because of his destructive way of putting up with human love. Or rather the lack of it.

He was a man who not only skilfully and selfishly avoided it but also pretended to carry it within him, only to throw it in everybody's face like the knifes he carried in his pockets. And while it wasn't real, it carried the same urgency and characteristic. But the only thing that his love lacked was the real passion that came within it. Of course, there was passion sometimes, but it wasn't the one that came from loving. No, it came from loving to _avoid_ the real feeling. And so of course, it made sense to him. And in the process, it sometimes seemed as if he had successfully convinced himself of its realness. But even though he wasn't the sanest person out there and one in touch with their feelings, he was also the most analysing creature she came to know. In the beginning of their relations, she very soon realised that Orihara resembled a sponge that somehow absorbed more than it should have.

 _"Have you ever considered not being an asshole?"_ Her question - like a fading memory - suddenly rang in his ears. And for the life of him, he did not know why. Why was he thinking about her again?

Ah right, it was all because of her brother.

"I'd be glad to help you, Nakamura-san" He began, a ghost of a smirk forming itself on his lips. "However, there is something I'd like you to agree on first if you want the needed information" His eyes glimmered at the never changing expression of the other man's face. It reminded her of the last time he saw her. Ah, the irony of his life.

"And what would it be, Orihara-san?" Izaya fought the urge to smirk at the monotone tone that was so different and yet so similar to his sister. He hated it. He absolutely hated it.

"I'd like you to keep my involvement in this 'project' a secret" He smiled, "Only for now"

The older man didn't as much as raise an eyebrow at the informant's request, before responding, his voice yet again void of any emotion - of course beside a hint of satisfaction."It will be my pleasure to have you work on this, then, Orihara-san" Everything was falling into place. Was he given yet another chance?

"You have no idea" His grin never faltered.

 _June 24th, 2005_

"I really hate you sometimes, you know" The shorter one of the two mumbled, sighing to herself as she fought the urge to groan at the small grin that spread itself on the bespectacled boy's face. In moments like this, she despised herself for not staying in bed and giving into Shinra's pleas.

"Well if it wasn't for me, you'd still be sleeping instead of doing something productive" The wannabe doctor nudged her playfully as a deep frown emerged on the girl's face.

"It doesn't change the fact that I'd rather avoid school this year" A grimace formed itself on her face as she glanced up at the slightly taller boy. The older of the two, sighed to himself, lowering his voice as if he was afraid someone would hear them.

"You really should report Inoue-sensei.." He sighed, his eyes glimmering with something that she didn't like seeing on him.

"It's not that easy, though. If someone was to ever find out, he'd lose his job and the whole school would know," She furrowed her eyebrows and for a moment. Shinra could only stare at her with something akin to pity in his greyish eyes.

"Well, isn't it what you want? He deserves it, after all, if something like that would happen to Celty, I-" Before Shinra could have a chance to start talking about his headless love, she shot him a sideways glare that for once succeeded in shutting him up.

"But that would mean the same for me. I was hoping to stay unnoticed throughout high school! How am I supposed to do that if everyone finds out?" At that Shinra only sighed when suddenly his eyes lit up as he stared at her with wide eyes.

"I could always ask Shizuo to beat him up!" He seemed too excited for his own good. "It would also be a great opportunity to examine his strength in action. I always seem to miss his outbursts" He sighed with melancholy in his chirpy voice.

"This is the worst idea, ever" She fought the urge to hit her head with something.

"But why? No one will find out"

"Yeah but Heiwajima-senpai could get expelled. And besides you said it million times, he hates violence. He wouldn't attack a teacher just because you, of all people, told him to." She tried to convince the boy whose eyes still seemed to be more focused on the idea of seeing Shizuo in action rather than seeing it was a death wish. "You would have to tell him the truth and that would mean he'll know! No one can know about it! Not Shingen and most certainly not Heiwajima-senpai!" She yelled the older's boy name, unaware that the very blonde boy was walking past them.

Momoko froze in place as she realised the blonde short tempered boy stopped in tracks, now looking down at her and Shinra with this annoyed look in his auburn eyes.

"I can't know about what?" He looked from the girl to Shinra as his eyes narrowed. Suddenly he seemed to realise something as an animalistic growl came out of the back of his throat. "You're not hiding that flea from me, are you Shinra?" Momoko's eyes widened and so did Shinra's as he started to protest.

"No, Of course not, I would never do something like that!"

"But you're still friends with him, aren't you?" The vein on his forehead seemed to be pulsing as he took a dangerous step closer, now towering over the bespectacled boy, completely ignoring the brunette girl who shouted his name in the first place.

"You know, Shinra, I-" Suddenly he was stopped by someone who seemed to be holding onto his arm. His eyes darkened ever so slightly as he turned his head around, spotting a girl who was looking at him tenderly.

"Please don't beat him up, Heiwajima-senpai!" She yelled, despite the fear she was feeling. Shizuo eyed her warily, before giving an annoyed sigh as he released Shinra who immediately ran away, leaving Momoko and Shizuo behind him. After all, Shizuo wasn't one to beat up a defenceless girl and he had a feeling that he would have to if he was going to punch Shinra.

"That bastard," Momoko thought to herself as she observed the boy disappear from her and Shizuo's view.

At the sight of running Shinra, Shizuo turned to her, waiting for an explanation but was met with an empty spot, before realising she was running in the opposite direction. The vein on his forehead started pulsing dangerously and noticing that Momoko wondered if it was going to explode.

"I knew it was going to be a shitty day" She thought to herself darkly to herself, speeding up at the sight of Heiwajima's long arms, that curled around her school bag, pulling her closer to him in one swift move.

NOO!" She shrieked, causing Shizuo to cover one of his ears with his free hand as he cringed at the unpleasant sound.

"Shut up..." He said in a low, threatening voice, sounding rather annoyed in her humble opinion. But at this point, Miyazawa Momoko could not care less about what he thought was annoying as she struggled to free herself from his iron grip. After all, she was going to die!

"Well, well, well...I wasn't expecting you to be one to beat up defenceless girls, Shizu-chan," Suddenly a mocking voice came out of nowhere, bringing the two back to reality. Shizuo's grasp immediately loosened, causing Momoko to fall to the ground with a loud thump following right after she hit the ground. Her eyes widened at the sight before her. Shizuo roared in anger as soon as his auburn eyes spotted the raven-haired boy, whose unnerving smirk was more unsettling than Heiwajima's anger.

Orihara-san?Her eyes widened, never leaving the dark figure in front of her and Heiwajima. And in this exact moment, Momoko wasn't sure if she should thank him for drawing Shizuo's attention away from her and thus saving her life or recall the event as the beginning of her future misery. But then again, why was she here in the first place?

Ah right, it was Shinra's fault.

"You really are a monster, aren't you Shizu-chan?" Momoko couldn't help but stare at who she would call back then, her saviour. Despite the fact that she was free to run, the girl seemed to be frozen in place as she observed the two teenagers in front of her.

Before neither she or Orihara could say anything else, the blonde boy roared in anger as he ripped a nearby street lamp out of the ground, now holding it above his head as he breathed heavily at the sight of his mortal enemy, standing only a few feet away from him. "IZAYA!" He roared, throwing the lamp at the smirking boy, only for him to dodge it with what seemed like elegance to Momoko. His moves seemed almost ethereal for this world, but then again it was Orihara Izaya she was looking at.

The raven-haired boy, whose name was known by every Raijin student, shot Shizuo a playful grin, his eyes never leaving the blonde. Noticing her opportunity to make a run for this without getting hit by yet another street lamp, Momoko quickly unfroze, getting up onto her feet before dashing off. Izaya's eyes quickly shifted to her disappearing form as a smirk formed itself on his amused face. _What a disappointing reaction,_ he thought to himself, his lips quivering in a silent smile.

His eyes then travelled back to Shizuo, who seemed to completely forget about the girl, as he breathed angrily. He looked at Izaya with such fury in his eyes and the other boy could only wonder what was going through this monster's head at the time like this when it seemed almost impossible for someone to stop his anger.

But then something happened. Something that changed not only his life but also the life of Miyazawa Momoko, the girl who was trying so hard to stay unnoticed only for her to catch the interest of the one who attracted the bad kind of attention. And so upon seeing the unwinding scene in front of him, Izaya's eyes widened - even if for a mere second. In the middle of the road, clinging onto that beast, Heiwajima Shizuo was Miyazawa Momoko. If not for the fact that it was the very same girl who already had a dead wish, who was now hugging - or more like trying to strangle - Heiwajima Shizuo, Izaya would laugh but right now the only thing he did was blink, his mouth curling up into a grin.

His eyes glimmered with something akin to excitement and in this moment as he eyed the pair in front of him, he knew he wasn't going to forget this scene for a long time.

It all happened so fast. The sky seemed to darken but Momoko knew it was only her wild imagination caused by the dread she was feeling at the very moment. Had she really just done that? Was she really ready to take a punch for a person she'd only heard rumors about? And the rumors weren't necessarily good. The brunette girl didn't dare look up at the boy, she was currently trying to strangle, too afraid of seeing his expression.

Not being able to see his face, or anything in general, burying her face into his side, she could only imagine the glare directed at her. Heiwajima's mouth formed in an 'o' shaped form as his eyes traveled to the girl whose hands were trembling wildly. But at this point, he couldn't say if she was trembling because she was afraid or if it was due to the strength of the grip she had on him.

But then again could she possibly be considered a coward after she'd practically threw herself at Heiwajima Shizuo? And at the top of that, threw herself at him in order to help the only person he truly wanted to kill. But then again 'kill' wasn't the right word to describe the things the blonde boy wanted Orihara Izaya to endure. For, Heiwajima Shizuo despised the boy to the point where he would be just fine, watching him burn. And so he was absolutely ready to go to any lengths if it gave him the smallest chance at ending the bastard's existence. Even if he had to go through some girl.

"Move!" Shizuo grit through his teeth, much like a beast in Izaya's opinion.

"No"

"Move, or _I'll_ move you" He was getting annoyed and the both of them knew it was utterly foolish to stubbornly remain in her position. But there was something that Miyazawa couldn't get rid off, a feeling that was just now refusing to let her go. Her sense of rightfullness. Maybe it was the fact that Oriahara's interverence somehow saved her a black eye, or maybe the fact that she knew that - although the boys hated each other and were always ready to fight - right now it was her own fault that she has been caught in the crossfire. And so she replied with another "No".

He could have easily pushed her out of the way and yet there he was, staring at the strange girl, who clung to him like a parasite. And for the first time in his whole life he forgot about his mortal enemy. Even if for a moment. And somehow the fact that he was able to stop himself from becoming a murderer calmed him. The boy couldn't help but tilt his head to the side as the sudden recognition hit him.

"You're this cousin of Shinra, Tomoko, right?" Shizuo's glare was still present, but his voice wasn't as angry as it should be and so she glanced up at him with something akin to wonder and annoyance crossing her face as soon as he said these words. And to be frank, Momoko wasn't sure if she was more annoyed by the fact that Shizuo associated her with that excuse of a cousin or that he got her name wrong.

"Momoko" She muttered to herself, but Shizuo heard her loud and clear. "And yeah..I'm..uh his cousin,"

"Oh, yeah..I'm shit with names...and faces in general," He answered a little bit awkwardly but this time with the sudden calmness in his voice. If not for the fact, that Momoko knew how bipolar the boy could be, she would have wondered why he was so calm all of a sudden.

Izaya's eyes narrowed for a second, somehow irked by the fact that he was once again left out, yet his smirk has never faltered as he observed the exchange between the two. Not only was this the most unexpecting thing, someone could do but it also had the most unexpected actions that followed suit behind. Despite the fact that he was standing only several feet away from the monster, Shizuo seemed to completely ignore his existence, as he talked to the girl. And truth be told Izaya couldn't be more annoyed yet intrigued.

He also couldn't help but find it amazingly entertaining. And it is a truth universally acknowledge that a madman in possession of a great brain must be in want of a minion. Or at least, some kind of a toy. And in this very moment, his eyes flashed with a strange emotion that neither of them knew, would expand over the years and turn into an obsession that one day was going to make him scream for absolution.

 _"This is going to be more fun than I've expected"_ He thought to himself, dashing into another direction before neither Momoko or Shizuo could notice that he was watching her.

Kishitani Shinra was an unusual human being. He was unusual to the point where his own cousin thought of him as a rather creepy and abnormal creature. Not that he was saddened by the fact since his undying love for the headless Dullahan was more important than anyone's opinion, proving his abnormality just well. And when he saw the said valkyrie, after entering the two story house, he could not help but cry out her name and throw himself at the poor woman.

"Oh, Celty!" He shouted dramatically, for a moment forgetting of his traitorous acts towards his own cousin who was probably being beaten up by Heiwajima by now.

"S-Shinra?!" Celty typed, bewildered by the sudden attack, finding it unamusedly hard to get his lanky arms away from her body. The Irish faerie wondered about Momo's whereabouts but before she could ask him anything, the front door opened as the said girl entered the house.

The brunette girl shot Shinra a glare which caused Celty to notice how pale he seemed at the sight of his cousin.

"Momo-chan! I'm so sorrryyy!" The bespectacled boy shouted, taking a few steps back as soon as the girl entered the house. But when she didn't say anything he knew it was a lost case and that an apology wasn't going to be enough. And so without any further apologies, he simply sprinted off into his room, locking the door behind and barricading it from the inside. Just in case.

If Celty had a head her face would be the definition of an utterly confused expression, but since she didn't have one, she simply turned to Momo and waited for the explanation.

And that day, neither Momoko, Shinra, Shizuo or Izaya showed up at school. For, every each of them had something to think over. And so nothing happened until one day, a week after the incident.

It was relatively late after school when Momoko sat by the window of one the rooms that were meant for club activities. Her eyes seemed to scan the pages as she read the book, she was holding in her hands. The sun was slowly setting and she was the only one who hadn't left yet. She loved to sit like this and enjoy the silence after a long, tiring school day.

Her dark eyes then traveled back to the window, as she looked at the horizon. To her, it seemed as if nothing could interrupt her relaxed form at this point, but nonetheless, something indeed happened.

The door to the room opened and the only sound Momoko was able to hear was the sound of someone's, heavy, yet silent footsteps. Just as if the person was trying to make as little sound as possible, but they were excited at the same time. Momoko's eyes narrowed dangerously but she could not help feeling slightly anxious towards the unknown. The brunette girl turned around and as soon as she did she was met with someone who had also taken an interest in her. Although this person's interest was way more messed up than anyone's else.

But that was what Momoko thought before Izaya truly showed her what him taking an interest in someone looked like.

"Inoue-sensei," She said, as the man finally reached her desk. There was something in his eyes that unsettled the young girl.

"Miyazawa..I didn't think you'd still be here," He said, but his voice didn't sound sincere at all and in an instant Momoko knew he was lying.

"I was about to get going, anyway," She said, not looking at the man, as she grabbed her jacket and her bag, as she proceeded to walk away from him and get to the door. But before she could get a chance, the man grabbed her by her arm.

"I was waiting for this moment since I first saw you, you know..." He mused, which send unpleasant shivers down her spine. She cursed herself for staying here instead of going home as soon as school ended.

He turned her around, so she was facing him as he observed every inch of her. "I know you like me too," He then said. "I saw you looking at me, earlier" The simple thought of liking him, made her sick, but she didn't dare to voice her thoughts. This man disgusted her.

"Let me go" Her voice was low, but there was fear lurking behind it and so he didn't listen.

"I can't, I can't let you go, now when we're finally alone" His eyes roamed over her body, stopping at her lips. Her eyes widened, but she knew better than to show the real fear she was feeling. "I really want to touch you," He then said as his other arm shot up as he reached for her.

"Well, well, well..what do we have here? A teacher harassing his young student, how repulsing" And in this moment time seemed to slow down. Momoko's eyes widened in horror and Inoue-sensei looked even more shocked. He quickly let her go, his eyes widening at the sight of the raven-haired boy, standing in the doors as he grinned up at them as if he didn't just see what the man was about to do.

"It's not like that, you got it all wron-" The man tried to get out of it, but fell silent as soon as his gaze was met with the all-knowing eyes of the devil himself. For a moment he could not look away, trying to figure out why the boy's eyes seemed to unsettle him that much. He gulped, hoping that the red-eyed demon didn't notice but little did he know that Orihara Izaya not only noticed it but also smirked inwardly to himself after seeing the man's rising nervousness.

For a moment they all stood there, two of them not sure what to do while the third relished in every second of it. Inoue's eyes seemed to fill with fear of what was about to come. So he simply left, neither able to look at Izaya or Momoko.

The brunette girl could only stand there, looking at the ground before, without uttering a word, walked out of the room as well. Izaya only smirked, seeing how she was trying to avoid his eyes. He then let out a soft laugh, before catching up to her in one swift move. They were walking through the streets of Ikebukuro for a good ten minutes now, and still neither of them said anything.

"Don't tell anyone about this," She said after a while, causing the boy to glance at her from the corner of his eyes.

"If it's really that important to you," He smiled up at her. "I won't." If not for the fact that Shinra had warned her about him, she would believe he was being sincere. But since she knew what he was trying to do, her eyes narrowed dangerously, remembering how her mother told her to never avoid the eyes of your opponent.

"You can drop the nice-guy act now" She spoke in a low voice but Izaya simply laughed, ignoring her glare.

"It's just fair, Momo-chan"

' _So he does know my name'_ She thought to herself. _"But then again he was there when Heiwajima-san said it..."_

"I believe you saved me from Shizu-chan, the other day," He answered nonchalantly, but there was an unknown edge to his voice that told her to not believe any of his words. The edge that told her to stay away from this man.

She then smiled up at him and Izaya knew her smile, just like his, wasn't sincere. "You saved me from him first," She pointed out, to which he only smirked.

"But Momo-chan" He smirked "It's not the fact that you saved me from him. It's more about _how_ you did it." She couldn't help but frown at him, not sure what he was trying to say. Seeing her curiosity he simply grinned and in that moment she could not help but notice how demon-like he looked. With his red eyes, as if he's poured the blood of thousands of people.

"Helping you today, was the payment for piquing up my interest and providing my entertainment in the near future," He answered, looking down at her with something in his eyes that told her he was absolutely serious. But there was also something that told her, that the boy in front of her already was or was going insane.

"You're insane" She stated, to which the boy only laughed.

"Oh but madness is a dish best shared, don't you think?" Red and blue lights twinkled behind him in the distance, and she focused on those instead of his twisted face.

"If you say so," She muttered to herself, looking at the ground. And Izaya couldn't help but laugh, cocking his eyebrow at the strange girl, who managed to prove that she indeed was entertaining.

"And now, let me walk you home, hm Momo-chan? I bet Shinra is worried sick, don't you think so too?" He smiled down at her.

"You already know where I live?" She didn't seem surprised, after what she'd seen in his eyes, but still she wanted to see how he'd respond, but to her surprise he didn't. He didn't try to deny it, neither did he try to hide the fact that he seemed to know a lot about her. And at this point, she could not help but wonder if he knew that Inoue-sensei was going to wait for her after school.

 _"Was he there in the first place?"_ She wondered to herself but chose not to voice her thoughts.

"I think, I'll manage Orihara-san,"

"I'm sure you will," He grinned down at her, but all she could see was a facade that a demon hid behind, so he could lure souls in. And his smile that reminded her of switchblades and infidelity, made her step away from him. "But...Remember one thing Momo-chan..." Her eyes met his and as soon as they did, she knew he was absolutely serious. "Some people are not so easy to escape from like perverted teachers" And with these last words, he was gone.

That night Momoko lied in bed, unable to fall asleep as she thought about Izaya's words that seemed to be echoing in her head.

"Switchblades and infidelity..." The words filled the silence of her dark room as she muttered them to herself before passing out from exhaustion.

 **(A/N):** Okay, so this is the new version of this chapter! I know, I know so much foreshadowing! p.p


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Durarara! I do own my OCs though and any unrecognizable characters in the story.**

* * *

 _Well, I'm looking out at you obscured by the stand-up arcade_

 _And the sound of the descendants._

 _Your smile reminds me of switchblades and infidelity._

 _Walking out on the show is walking out on you_

 _And walking out on you's still the best thing that I ever did._

 _-_ Switchblades And Infidelity - Fall Out Boy

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

 **Switchblades And Infidelity**

* * *

 _March 2007_

Heiwajima Shizuo was most certainly one of a kind. The unique way in which his brain seemed to work was not only fascinating but also unpredictable as it was and Momoko could not help but keep an eye on him from time to time. But then again who wouldn't feel intrigued by someone whose short temper guaranteed great entertainment when it came to watching his fights. But even his temper was unpredictable and that was something that only made her wonder what he was thinking. But not just that, for it also made her realize something that was way funnier than it should be.

For, Heiwajima Shizuo was so simple that it made him more unique than the rest of earth's population. His mood swings were as random as they got, providing the needed unpredictableness that often came in handy when facing larger groups. And maybe that was the reason that caused her to view him from a completely different angle. From an angle that shouted 'innocent'.

Shizuo longed for a normal, peaceful life, without fights, gang activities, murders and most certainly a life without Orihara Izaya. Shizuo was innocent and pure and so as soon as he was framed in for a crime that he couldn't possibly commit even though every piece of proof lead to him, she knew he once again was more innocent than anyone she knew. It also proved that someone else she knew was incapable of changing. And so she helped Heiwajima get out. But at what cost?

"Izaya!" The girl shouted, walking into the young man's house. She didn't bother to knock, knowing that the raven haired sociopath didn't deserve her respect. Walking deeper into the dim lighted place she noticed a few yet to be packed. Was he moving out? She also noticed that his parents weren't home, as per usual. The twins seemed to be out as well.

"Ah! Momo-chan, I'm glad to see yo-"

"Save it, you asshole!" She didn't give him time to finish, as she cut him off, her eyes narrowing at the sight of him. Izaya smirked, more to himself than anyone in particular, before standing up from his chair as he made his way up to Momoko.

"You're pushing your luck today, Momo-chan," He said it as if he was talking about the weather but both of them knew that the intentions behind his words were far away from innocent ones. For Orihara Izaya's intentions were almost always sick and without exaggerating as one would simply call them 'bad'.

"Being associated with people like you doesn't provide any luck, anyway" She answered, her eyes never leaving his nearing figure. He could attack her any minute and so she had to be as ready and careful as always. "I would actually say that people like you bring _normal people_ like _me_ bad luck," Her voice was low but somehow Izaya didn't find it threatening in any way as a smile spread itself on his handsome face.

"But Momo-chan," He placed both of his hands on her shoulders as he looked her in the eyes. "You're nowhere near normal" The smirk on his face never wavered and she fought the urge to wipe it off of his face, herself. Izaya seemed to notice her internal fight as he simply sighed, placing one of his hands at the small of her back as he guided her.

"Come in" His voice came out chipper than usual and she couldn't help but wonder what made him think that she would fall for his fake friendliness. "We need to talk"

"About what?" She raised one of her eyebrows, to which the man only smiled.

"About what you did today, of course!" He scoffed and in that moment she knew playing dumb wasn't going to help her in any way.

"I did what I had to" She answered, not bothering to meet his gaze as he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Shizuo didn't deserve any of your bullshit" Her words seemed to strike the nerve as a single 'tsk' sound left his mouth.

She knew that annoying Orihara was like walking on thin ice but she wasn't going to apologize either.

"Sometimes I consider hiring someone to kill you" Came his reply.

She smirked up at him, as their eyes met. "Can't you do it yourself?" She raised her eyebrow, the smirk ever so present.

He smirked down at her, copying her mannerisms as he spoke in a low, seductive voice "You know I couldn't." She laughed to herself, seeing through his lies. "But remember, Momoko" The use of her name made her freeze as her laughter died and her eyes widened.

Before she could do anything, Izaya's hand shot upwards pushing her as she quickly found herself stuck between his body and a wall with a knife pressed to her throat. "You still shouldn't have done that" He mused in her ear but she knew better than to show any fear.

"Do it!" She said, through gritted teeth which made him narrow his dark eyes. "I'm sick of your games, Izaya. Do it and free me from having to see your face, everyday" She mocked to which he only scoffed.

"And I thought I meant something to you" He teased, but his voice was far from amused.

"A piece of trash is what you mean to me" She spat as she glared up at him. Nothing happened for a minute and she started wondering whether she really took it too far this time when suddenly the man before her erupted with laughter.

He lowered the knife, taking a few steps back while laughing maniacally to himself to the point where she saw tears in his eyes. Her face showed nothing but disgust toward him as he glanced at her while trying to hold his laughter back.

"I fucking hate you" She murmured to herself before walking right past him as she left, making him lose it again as he laughed until the door closed.

As soon as she left and Izaya was yet again left completely to himself, his laughter died in an instant. His face was unreadable and even he himself wasn't sure if he would be able to read it if he were to look at himself in the mirror. His eyebrows furrowed and his nose scrunched giving him that concentrated look, but at this point, he was everything but concentrated.

His thoughts seemed to dart in thousand different directions at the same time and for once, he was glad that unlike most of his fragile humans it didn't give him a migraine. Unable to stand still the informant paced back and forth in front of his window, finally stopping at some point as he pressed his forehead to the cool glass. It was so unlikely him and yet so very natural to the young man.

He was annoyed. Not only by her stubbornness and Shizuo's stupidity but also by the fact that things used to be so much easier, so much more interesting and despite the fact that the challenge of breaking her was still facing him, he couldn't help but miss the good old days when everything was simply _'more'._

And so he let his mind wander, replaying the past events in his head as if he was watching a movie until it took him to one particular day when everything took a drastic turn.

* * *

 _July 5th 2005_

Three days after the incident with Inoue-sensei the most unexpected thing happened. Momoko woke up late that day and even Shinra wasn't there to wake her up so as soon as she arrived at school the news about a certain teacher were already spread and discussed by almost every student.

At first, it all seemed like a bad dream to her, but as soon as she saw Orihara's smirk and his unnerving eyes as he observed her from the roof, she knew that the reality was far worse than any nightmare her mind was able to create. The anger and the blood pulsating in her veins lead her legs to the roof of Raijin Academy as soon as she caught his eyes.

"Izaya!" She screamed with fury in her voice, pushing the door open when she finally made it onto the roof. "YOU BASTARD!" She yelled once again, nearing the boy whose unnerving smirk never wavered.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me, Momo-chan?" His voice came out sounding hurt and teasing at the same time, which only made her angrier. "Inoue-sensei was fired, shouldn't you be thankful? _I saved you_ " He said it in a tone that suggested something more than just that.

"Thank you? For WHAT?! For the fact that everyone knows what he did to me?!" She yelled, pinning him to the nearest wall,which only made him look smug.

"Who said they knew?" His smirk was unbearable but his words made her stop in her tracks. "Sorry to spoil the fun but no one knows" His eyes seemed to penetrate her own and something told her that for once he was telling the truth.

Her eyes narrowed almost immediately. "What's in it for you?" She asked to which he simply laughed.

"Maybe I'm just that nice" He scoffed but his voice dripped with seductiveness as his face neared hers. Without sparing him another moment to piss her off further, she stepped back before sarcastically bowing to him.

"Well thank you for helping a damsel in distress then, Orihara-senpai. You truly are a hero, after all." And with that said, she left, making him burst out with laughter for the first time.

And from that day on, he knew that it was going to take much more than firing an old pedophile to finally break her. For, Miyazawa Momoko wasn't one to give up so easily and neither was the future Devil of Shinjuku. And so he decided to accept the challenge and make her one of his worshippers. For Orihara Izaya was someone who loved a good challenge, but little did he know that the girl who piqued his interest was far more stubborn than any other human being he tried to break.

Walking down the stairs after leaving him on the rooftop felt like walking away after making a deal with the devil. The boy was more than frustrating and the fact that he held himself with such confidence as if he had owned everything and everyone proved successful in annoying her furthermore. But at the same time, he made her feel vulnerable. With his accusing eyes that followed her every move as he looked at her with that irritable smirk that seemed to be always plastered on his face.

She walked down the corridor, walking right past her class without bothering to look inside as she left the building. Momoko missed the surprised look on Shinra's face as she walked by the windows. She also didn't bother to meet the curious eyes of the one and only Heiwajima Shizuo whose gaze followed her until the door closed behind her and her figure disappeared in the distance. She couldn't be bothered by school today and most importantly she couldn't be bothered by _him._

How dare he intervene in her life and make it seem as if he were trying to help her?! She was mad. Mad at him for being an asshole, mad at Shinra whose cowardice brought it upon her, mad at Shizuo for interpreting her words wrongly and most importantly mad at herself for not being able to admit that it was all her fault.

Even though she despised the feeling of helplessness and self-pity, she couldn't help but feel sorry for herself as she walked through the streets of Ikebukuro. And how could she not? How could she not drown in her emotion after everything that had happened in these short few days that she came to know any of these people? She knew that it wasn't the end. For everyone in Raijin Academy knew that if Orihara Izaya, the devil's spawn, took an interest in you, you were doomed. Literally and figuratively doomed.

The boy attracted danger to not only himself but also the people whose he chose to surround himself with. And those he picked with such precision it was almost impossible to tell that they were just a part of a game, a mere pawn in the player's hands. And what almost everyone who managed to come in close contact with him knew was the fact that the boy was a magnet for attention as the eyes and ears of thousands blinded souls followed his every move and heard every word he spoke. And that was exactly what Momoko didn't ask for. She truly didn't and yet here she was, wandering the streets of Ikebukuro, ditching her classes while trying to run away from her problems that haven't even truly began.

"GOOD SUSHI! Very good! Just try, you like it!" The deep voice brought her back to reality as she looked to her left, spotting a large, black man with a 'Russian Sushi' sign in his hands.

Without even thinking she stopped in her tracks, eyeing the black man, observing his every movement. His largeness and the foreign looks seemed to do their job in frightening everyone on the street as his voice echoed above the crowds. Some of the passers-by seemed to be trying to run away as soon as they were addressed by the 'Russian Sushi' worker, while some of them politely shook their head and carried on with their daily routines. Momoko wondered whether she should do the same and simply keep walking when suddenly her stomach growled loudly, making her cheeks redden in embarrassment as she looked around hoping that no one had heard it.

She laughed awkwardly to herself while considering whether she should go in and try some 'Russian Sushi', as weird as it sounded. Deciding that while- thanks to Orihara- she had nothing else to lose she sent the large man a fake smile while passing by him as she entered the warmth of the small restaurant.

The place was bathed in dim light and as soon as she entered it she was greeted by the smell of cooking food. She inhaled deeply as a small smile spread itself on her lips. Walking further into the restaurant, her eyes darted to the side, spotting one of Shinra's friends. If not for the fact that it was Kadota, she would have wondered why they were skipping classes. But then again who was she to judge. Kadota glanced up from his plate, his eyes widening ever so slightly as if he was spotted in the middle of a crime scene.

Despite his uncertainty and lack of words, he nodded for her to sit down with him. She sent him a brief smile and a nod before sitting down across from him, not wasting any minute to order her food.

The silence between them would seem unbearable to other, normal people but not to them. The silence that surrounded them reminded Momoko of a warm blanket that comforted her and eased any stress after a long day of work. She did not know if Kadota felt the same way but looking at him from the corners of her eyes he looked peaceful and calm. Neither of them was ever able to describe their relationship and sometimes one of them would go as far as to say that they didn't have any. But in some strange, unique way there was a mutual understanding between them. Momoko wasn't sure whether it was because of the fact that both of them were Shinra's close friends or the fact that they both had something to hide.

As her tray of previously ordered food finally arrived she murmured a quick 'itadakimasu' before grabbing her chopsticks. Both of them felt that there was no need for any words as they sat in comfortable silence. The first one to break it was Momoko as she finally decided to ask him about something she never imagined herself asking.

"You know Orihara, right?" Her voice came out harsher than expected and even Kadota found it hard not to wince at the sound of it. Nonetheless, he nodded his head, taking another bite of his tuna. "Shinra is foolish enough to get involved with Orihara but believe me, you need to stay away from him" Kadota's words echoed through her head and she could not help but wonder what made him feel the need to warn her. In that moment she could not help but wonder whether he got himself involved in something with Orihara in the past.

"It's not that easy," She didn't feel the need to say anything else, knowing that Kadota knew exactly what she meant by that. Her eyes travelled to the windows and for the first time, she's noticed that it was pouring outside. "I...I shouldn't have helped him" The words left her mouth before she could stop herself.

Kadota looked up at her with curiosity in his eyes as he let her continue. "He is more than able to handle himself" She let out a laugh that to him sounded like a cackle. "And the funny part is that I knew he didn't need my help" She shook her head, finally meeting his eyes. "I don't know what I was thinking back then..."

"I could've easily run without having to deal with all of this, but I didn't" Kadota stared at her with curiosity in his dark eyes, before taking yet another bite out of his bowl. Truth be told, he did not know what to say in a situation like this. He never imagined himself trying to comfort someone because of a certain boy with a god-complex. He knew that no words would make her situation any better and so he simply sat there listening to her inner conflicts, nodding from time to time as he too was reminded of his own mistakes.

* * *

Firing Inoue-sensei was almost too easy for his liking. All he had to do was make a couple of calls, show the pictures he took of him and Momoko, to the school council and not even a day later after the report was filled the man landed in police custody. Of course, they could not keep him there for long, without Miyazawa's confirmation and any further evidence of Inoue-sensei being a sex offender. The police had yet to contact Momoko and her family for her to fill a report which he doubted she would do. Izaya had a feeling that the girl knew exactly what she had to do but refused because she didn't want to get involved furthermore even though it all began with her in the first place. Then again her family wouldn't be much of a help either. He could merely smirk at that.

But there was something that made his curiosity rise. For Izaya knew that even though the people he contacted held enough power to put the teacher in jail, it still seemed too easy for his liking. The fact that the police didn't even ask for Momoko's confirmation in the case made him smirk with amusement. Noboru must have paid them a lot.

Humans could be so disgusting, he thought to himself as a wide smile spread itself on his face. So disgusting and yet so beautiful and entertaining. Despite the fact that he did not fully understand some of them he couldn't help but find it repulsing and fascinating at the same time. Every human in his oppinion had a potential to betray another. Some were more prone to doing it out of their own selfish reasons or the mere joy of being the winner. Others on the other side did it to keep their loved ones safe. And those were only the two ends of the wide spectrum. There were so many possibilities and Izaya wanted to experience all of them.

Izaya observed her every move as she left the school. He couldn't help but snicker to himself, remembering her angry face. Anger had to be his least fovorite emotion. He liked to see desperation on people's faces, he liked to see them do something unpredictable, somthing reckless. Anger was an emotion that in his opinion could be described as the biggest weakness. For he knew that anger couldn't be controled at times and people unlike him who couldn't hold ther emotions in check, who weren't able to stop themselves and put on a mask, were weak. It was so easy to anger her and yet she was able to quickly compose herself as if nothing had happened, as if remembering that anger wasn't her best option.

What seemed to finally snap him out of his thoughts was a tingling sensation at the back of his head. He turned around, his eyes travelling down to one of the windows of a classroom as his eyes landed on the one and only Heiwajima Shizuo. Shizuo's own eyes were staring back at him as if daring him to do something. And Izaya couldn't oblige so he laughed as hard and as loud as he could. And when he did, all the demons grinned. For Izaya's laugh was the most contagious thing.

Shizuo's eyes narrowed dangerously and a low growl escaped his lips. No one in the classroom seemed to notice his dark aura. No one besides Shinra. The bespectacled boy stared at him with something akin to amazement in his eyes, waiting for the blond to do something.

* * *

Later that night she found herself wandering the streets of what had to be the most abnormal district in Tokyo. Not only because Ikebukuro was the place where the legends came to life and gang fights and destruction of vending machines happened on a daily basis but because it was also the place where her story had truly begun.

Kadota had left a while ago after asking her whether she wanted him to walk her home to which she politely refused, saying that she could handle herself better that anyone would've thought. She knew that it wasn't wise to walk alone at night, especially while no one really knew where she was and her phone was dead so she decided to get back home without running into any gang members.

The gang fights had been getting more and more violent and for the past few weeks, they were all over the news. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance as she walked down the street, passing Sunshíne City on her way. The girl wondered whether Celty and Shinra were worried about her. She felt a pang of guilt in her heart, knowing that it was incredibly unfair to the both of them. Or at least to Celty.

The headless woman that used to be a complete stranger and someone that in her eyes resembled a monster had become not only her best friend but a part of her family. Someone she would trust her life with. Someone who constantly supported her and stayed by her side, no matter what. She truly did not know what she did to deserve someone as genuine and kind as Celty.

"Momo-chan!" Her eyes widened as she was quickly brought back to reality by what had to be the most annoying voice she's ever heard. She cursed herself while turning around, her eyes darting to a black figure walking over to her. Izaya was smiling brightly as he waved at her.

Finally, he came to a halt in front of her. "It's not particularly smart for a teenage girl to walk alone at night, now is it Momo-chan?" He smirked down at her and she couldn't help but find the gesture more unbearable than anything she's ever encountered before. How dare he scold her like that. Just because he was older than her and was delusional enough to think that he owned everything everyone didn't give him the right to order her around. "And not charging your phone, you disappoint me, Momo-chan"

"How did you even-ugh you know what-" She pointed a finger to his chest, pinning him down with her glare. "I don't even want to know"

He let out a laugh at that, mockingly raising his hands in defeat before settling for a small grin that to her seemed to be permanently glued to his face. "Also, I'm aware of that, thank you very much, now if you excuse me-" She walked past him to which he surprisingly obliged. "I need to get home" To her surprise, he stayed quiet while she walked away. Of course, the peace didn't last long as not even after two minutes of walking down the street she's heard the sound of his footsteps behind her.

Choosing to ignore him, she kept walking, refusing to turn around. After what seemed like forever the sound of his annoyingly loud feet hitting the pavement finally managed to get her to snap. Taking a large breath she quickly spun around."Okay, enough you psycho! Are you really just going to follow me ?!" She shouted but her glare and words were met with an empty space in front of her. She looked around confused, for a moment considering the possibilities of finally losing her mind at the hands of Orihara Izaya, whose she knew for a little longer than a week.

"God, I'm going crazy"

Confused she turned around, hoping that the walk home would be quiet from now on when suddenly she bumped into something or rather someone. Her eyes widened for the hundredth time this day before opening her mouth which got quickly covered with a large hand. Momoko could only stare at the demonic boy in front of her who proved to yet again being a psycho. He met her confused gaze as he put a slender finger to his lips signalising for her to stay quiet. Not like she had any choice with his hand on her face.

She grabbed his hand, jerking it off of her face and as far away from her mouth as possible before whisper-shouting at him. "Did you think I was gonna scream, you-" Izaya narrowed his eyes before once again covering her mouth, this time cutting away any chance for her to free herself from his grasp. For someone who didn't have any visible muscles he was surprisingly strong and for the first time, Momoko wondered whether that was the reason why he was the only person who seemed to be able to outrun Heiwajima.

Suddenly she was being picked up and thrown over the demon's shoulder as he darted down the street in what seemed to be an inhuman speed. She was just about to yell at him on the top of her lungs before the sound of a rage-filled voice reached her ears.

"IZAYAAA!" Speaking of the devil. Momoko glanced up, her eyes spotting a large figure running at them in the distance.

"Well hello there, Shizu-chan!" Izaya turned over his shoulder, smirking to himself as he quickened his pace. From the corner of his eye, he saw Momoko staring at Shizuo as if hypnotized by the enraged teenager. Izaya stared at her, memorizing and analysing her face as if she was something he's seen too many times. His nose crinkled in annoyance at the unoriginal reaction from the girl. But the longer he stared at her the bigger his grin became as the realisation hit him. While he mistook the look on her face for fear, he was now able to see that the expression on the girl's face was something entirely else. Something he had associated with only one person who was crazy enough to be as foolish as to look at Heiwajima that way. And that very person happened to be Momoko's cousin. The one and only Kishitani Shinra.

As if sensing his penetrating gaze Momoko turned her head in Izaya's direction, their eyes meeting in a flash. For a moment, he didn't want to deal with Shizuo. All he wanted to do was analyse every aspect of her. He wanted to study her and then watch her crumble under him. He wanted to see her break. He wanted to reveal all her secrets. She grimaced at him as if suddenly remembering that she was indeed being carried by Orihara Izaya. The look on her face made him want to laugh in her face, but then again he had a monster to escape first, after all. He settled for a lazy smirk, before taking an abrupt turn to the right, skilfully avoiding the vending machine that Shizuo sent flying in their direction.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD!" Shizuo's voice echoed through the alleys. But then again Momoko wouldn't have been surprised if the whole Ikebukuro had heard him.

Momoko closed her eyes as the various objects she's never imagined herself getting attacked with, let alone thrown at passed by them and for a second she wondered whether Heiwajima noticed that she was there or if he was simply too blinded by his rage and hatred for Orihara. Either way, it seemed like he wanted to kill both of them. "IZAYAA!"

Izaya maneuvered the both of them into an alley, before jumping over a small fence and turning left. For a moment if felt like they've lost him when suddenly Shizuo appeared on the end of an alley. Realising that Shizuo didn't notice them yet, Izaya pulled both of them into another, much smaller alley as he pressed them both against a nearby wall. Hidden in the darkness of the night, the raven-haired boy successfully managed to entrap Momoko between him and a wall, making it unable for her to move as he once again pressed a hand against her mouth.

She was positive that if it wasn't for the darkness that made it impossible for him to see her face the death glare she was sending his way would have killed him before Heiwajima got his chance at catching the bastard.

The silence that had finally settled between the two seemed to last forever and the only evidence of the time actually passing was the sound of Izaya's breathing and the sensation on her skin as it tingled her right ear. His hand was still firmly pressed against her mouth and she couldn't help but notice how cold it was, compared to her own warm hands. _How come his hands are so cold in the middle of summer?_ For a moment she got lost in her own thoughts, without noticing that his hand had been removed from her face and his breath hit her cheeks and nose.

The sound of her steady breathing reached his ears and for a moment he was surprised that it sounded so even. Like the fact that a literal monster was chasing them only a few minutes ago, didn't matter to her. He couldn't see her face and it irritated him deeply since he wasn't able to see her expression. He could only listen to her steady, warm breath that hit his face. It was too risky to come out too soon and he really didn't want to deal with that beast right now. The truth was, Izaya didn't expect Shizuo to show up and thus since he wasn't the one who decided to seek him out on purpose he was annoyed by the blond boy who almost ruined his plans.

But once again, the fate proved to be on his side. And although Izaya never considered himself someone who believed in such nonsense as fate and destiny, let alone a God, he was thankful for his good luck that proved to be yet again pretty useful when it came to escaping Heiwajima. And here he was pressed against a girl in a dark alley. He would be lying if he said that it wasn't his first time in a situation like this. And god, was he thrilled. Thrilled with the ever present adrenaline that pumped through his veins and

Momoko was yet again pulled out of her thoughts as the older boy pulled her with him, the two of them exciting their hiding spot in one swift move. For a moment he didn't say anything as if waiting for a reaction from her. He seemed to be studying her blank face as she stared back at him challengingly.

"Looks like we've lost him, Momo-chan" He grinned down at her, before releasing her arm. Momoko eyed him with a mix of confusion, distrust, and skepticism lurking behind her stormy eyes while he only stared down at her with something akin to excitement. And god was he excited. Not because of the still present adrenaline but because of the little, tiny and well-hidden emotion that he saw in her eyes.

The very same wonder that this time was directed at him. Not at that monster, nor at anyone else. At him. And he couldn't help but crave for more. It wasn't the same look of amazement and naivety that the girls at school, the very same girls who believed he cared about them sent him. No, it was something entirely else. A look that he had never received from anyone else. Not even Shinra.

A look that he associated with himself from a long time ago. He couldn't deny that the girl reminded him of himself at times. And there was also no denying that anyone that reminded him of himself had a least a little ounce of potential hidden deep within them. And what he needed to do was dig deep enough and use it his advantage as he would mold her into a perfect pawn. But he needed to break her first.

"Don't do that ever again," She said under her breath, glaring up at the older boy whose grin never faltered.

"Oh Momo-chan, are you suggesting there will be another time?" She fought the urge to hit or scream at him, as she pinched her nose instead to which he only snickered.

"Now let's get you home, Momo-chan" He put an arm around her, guiding her as they walked down the street. She tried to wiggle out of his grasp, finally succeeding after a full, long minute.

"So you really are one of those people..." She said almost immediately. Izaya's eyes travelled back to her, tinted with confusion as he tilted his head to the side as if asking for her to explain what she meant.

"You know people who say someone's name in almost every sentence" She explained, her big eyes meeting his own. "Don't you ever get tired of saying them all the time?"

The question was simple and thus he did not know why his mind decided to dart in thousand different directions at the same time. Perhaps it was the fact that the whole conversation and her question seemed so normal and so casual that it left him wondering what she truly thought about him. Or maybe it was the fact that something told him she truly wanted to know. He sent her a side smile, before looking up to the sky as if looking for an answer. And for the first time he truly was looking for an answer. He wasn't pretending, nor was he looking for a lie to tell her. "It's a habit, so it doesn't" He answered while smirking down at her. But she didn't look t him. She was too occupied with her own storm inside her head.

* * *

 **Also to people who are wondering about the timeline of this story. First of all! The glimpse of the future that you saw in the first chapter was something akin to a prolog. Also, the first part of this chapter isn't exactly set in the time from the PROLOG but kind of in the middle (when Shizuo was framed in for a crime).** **So the timeline of this story is mostly random but the main focus is in THE PAST! I also decided to add some dates! In my version of the story, Izaya was born in 1989. Momoko was born in 1990 which makes her 15 and in 1st Grade** **when they first met** **(she was born on February 22nd and they met in June 2005).** **Shizuo and Izaya are both 16 and in 2nd Grade. Also in this story Mikado started school in 2012!**

 **Please leave a feedback! :) I'd love to see your opinions, guys! :D Please let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Durarara! I do own my OCs though and any unrecognizable characters in the story. Contains few prompt sentences I found on tumblr.**

 _Where'd you go, huh?_

 _They all think I know you,_

 _It's so hard to motivate,_

 _Me to devote a,_

 _Single inch of me to_

 _Something I can't see I,_

 _Don't mean to pry but why,_

 _Would you even make the eyes?_

 _I don't believe my errors,_

 _And I'm scared of my own head,_

 _I will deny you for years,_

 _Then I'll make you raise me from the dead,_

 _\- Twenty One Pilots; Be Concerned_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3**

 **His Intentions**

* * *

 _July 12th 2005_

For what he had implied after walking her home a few nights ago, she would've thought that he'd never leave her alone. But there she was, enjoying a quiet Sunday morning without any trace of the unnerving boy. And so she found herself pondering over the unusual peace he seemed to let her enjoy. It was so unlikely him. Not that she'd know what was normal for the boy. Everything that she did know about Izaya was purely and solely based on the things everyone else had to say about him. But it still seemed too peaceful. And such peacefulness could usually lead to only one thing. Momoko would be lying if she said that he wasn't slowly getting to her.

 _"See you around Momo-chan" He winked, his lips curling in a playful grin that to her looked like a bad omen._

She didn't dare tell anyone about their latest encounter with Heiwajima-san and quite frankly the girl was quite surprised that the blond boy didn't mention anything when their paths crossed in the school's corridor two days ago. He didn't even look at her. She wasn't sure whether the older boy simply didn't notice her or if he decided that after seeing her and Izaya it would be better to ignore her. Apparently, that was the case with almost everyone at Raijin. Not even two days after the incident on the roof she started noticing that while people liked to stare at her and whisper about her when they thought she wasn't paying attention, they also avoided her like a plague.

And what it truly made her realize was that while Orihara was like a human magnet for attention, he was also someone who people avoided at all costs. And now since they saw her talking to him quite a few times they must've thought she should be avoided too. But Shizuo ignoring her somehow couldn't get out of her mind. For some reason, Momoko found it incredibly hard to believe that he did it because of the others. Heiwajima was many things but he most certainly was not someone who would do that without a real reason. He wasn't someone who would avoid Izaya's victims. If anything, Shizuo would have been the first one to approach them and voice what exactly he felt about them socializing themselves with the troublesome boy. She really started believing that he didn't see her that night. But then again, who wouldn't have noticed a girl, bouncing on one of Orihara's shoulders as he darted through the busy streets of Ikebukuro, all this while skilfully avoiding flying trashcans. There had to be another reason.

Besides the various calls from the police and a visit to the police station, nothing out of ordinary happened. After all the reports were filled, Inoue-sensei was proved guilty of sexual harassment and the case had been closed. From what the police had told her, the man was facing a few years in jail. The whole case was surprisingly kept private and Momoko couldn't be more relieved to know, that no one knew about the whole incident. Although she hated to admit it, Orihara had helped her. He had also saved her from Shizuo, even though she highly doubted that the short-tempered boy would have actually tried to hurt her. But she was also pretty sure than anyone in Orihara's position would have had left her without hesitation. But despite the bad reputation that surrounded him, he didn't. He didn't leave her. Ignoring her protests and struggles, he decided to take her with him, risking himself getting caught by Heiwajima. Even when he realized that she was slowing him down in some aspects, he kept going.

In some strange way, she didn't hate him as much as she used to. But then again she was never able to understand her own feelings, always trying to stay neutral and avoid having to deal with them. So for all she knew, she could have hated him even more at this point. Not only because of what he had done but because of what he was going to do. And she knew exactly what the boy was trying to accomplish. Orihara was trying to coax her into giving into him. Into believing his every word. Into trusting him. And quite frankly, she was letting him.

Momoko wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was due to the arising and ever-present curiosity that she held deep within her heart. Or maybe it was the danger and mysterious air that seemed to not only surround Orihara but also ooze out of him like he was the center of the same machine that stirred everyone else. And in some ways he was.

The wind chimes on her porch tinkled softly in the warm summer breeze and she was yet again reminded of the nearing summer break. The brunette closed her eyes, relishing in the nice weather as the door behind her creaked open, revealing a bare-chested and grizzled Shinra, his eyes dark with lack of sleep. She turned around, groaning mentally to herself at the disheveled teen in front of her. Shinra yawned, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand when a sneeze escaped his mouth.

"Shinra, I told you to stay in bed!" She groaned, scolding the older boy as a guilty, crooked smile appeared on his unusually pale face. What was she supposed to do with him?

"But it's so boring Momo-chan!" He whined, causing her to wonder which of the two of them was actually older. At least mentally. "Celty's working and there's nothing interesting on TV!"

"Well, it's not like it's my fault," She shrugged, mildly annoyed, yet still inwardly grinning to herself as she eyed the pathetic creature that so happened to be her cousin. _Oh sweet, sweet revenge._ "How did you even catch a cold?! It's the middle of summer!" At that, a faint, bashful blush appeared on his cheeks as he scratched his head. She knew exactly why the bespectacled boy was sick but god did she love to torture him like that.

"You love to make me feel like an idiot, don't you?" He sighed, plopping himself next to her on the porch.

"First of all, you _are_ an idiot. And second yeah I do" Despite the usual bickering between the two, Shinra couldn't help but smile ever so blissfully as he gazed over the fence as if waiting for his lover to come home. Momoko eyed him from the corner of her eye, all this while fighting the urge to ask him about - as he liked to call it - his 'undying love' for the headless woman. On days like this when the opportunity of observing the boy in his haze arose, she often found herself dwelling on the complex aspect of being so completely and utterly in love like her cousin.

Momoko found it incredibly hard to imagine herself, forming an attachment to someone else beside her family. And even her attachment to her family wasn't all that strong and pure. Truth be told it was mostly based on the fact of shared blood and wanting a rooftop over her head rather than unconditional love. Sometimes it made her wonder whether her being sent to live with Shinra had to do something with that.

Forming true friendships with humans was another thing that seemed impossible. Her only friend was a headless woman, who most certainly wasn't a human being. And her cousin? She wasn't sure what she thought about him. But besides, the two, she didn't really have friends. There was Kyohei, for sure, but beside their latest conversation they didn't have much to talk about.

And ten there was Orihara. The only person, besides Momoko who seemed to be even lonelier than she was. But then again, Orihara was many things, but he most certainly wasn't her friend.

On Wednesday Momoko was walking to school. She hadn't seen Izaya since Tuesday last week and from what she's heard, he hadn't been to any of his classes since that day. It wasn't anything out of unusual since the boy was quite known for skipping school and so she decided to not make a big deal out of it. It's not like she cared about his whereabouts, anyway. They hardly knew each other.

If nothing, she was glad that he decided to not involve himself with her life for the past week. But what worried her was the fact that from what she's noticed Orihara had a bad habit of entering her personal life in the most unfortunate moments. It was almost as if he was waiting for the perfect opportunity to slip into it again, only for him to leave when things calmed down and became boring again.

Shinra was still rotting away at home and at this point, she wondered whether he was faking it so Celty would take care of him. She smiled half-heartedly to herself at the mere thought of the poor headless woman who had been on Shinra's every call for the past few days.

"Hey, you!" A familiar voice reached her ears, causing her to stop in mid tracks as she cursed herself internally for not walking faster. She turned around, meeting the dark eyes of Heiwajima's familiar face. "You...uh. What was your name?" He finally approached her.

"Momoko" She eyed him with the ever-present curiosity in her amber eyes. Shizuo seemed to stare unblinkingly back at her as if he himself was curious about the girl who he knew so little about.

"Ah, right..." He scratched the back of his neck, and despite the awkward gesture, he looked anything but ashamed. His face was calm and composed and so was his voice. For a moment she expected him to say something but when he walked past her without saying a word she dismissed the thought. He came to a halt and turned around, now facing her with a small frown adorning his handsome face. "We're going to be late if you don't start walking" He grumbled out, all traces of his previous mood gone. But he didn't seem annoyed. If anything, he was acting rather... _awkward_.

Momoko nodded her head, still bewildered and curious as she observed the back of his head as they walked down the street. If he sensed her staring at her he chose to not say anything and so she continued on staring him down as if watching his every move would help her understand his train of thoughts.

"Stay away from that flea" His harsh words snapped her out of her haze. She expected him to continue but that was the only thing he had said throughout the whole way to Raijin. All those people who told her to stay away from Orihara acted as if she didn't already know that. She let out a single sigh upon entering the school building.

Izaya proved absent throughout the whole final week of the first semester and the peace that engulfed the whole school was unbearably unsettling to not only her but everyone else. Some of his 'worshippers' tried to ask her about his whereabouts since she was the last person he had been seen with. And every time her reply sounded 'no'. She had no idea why they all assumed she would know where he was.

She being the loner that she was that everyone seemed to avoid never really had an occasion to talk to any of the girls before and so she was quite shocked when three of them walked up to her as she was eating her lunch.

Mumbling to herself she took another bite out of her lunch box, closing her eyes as she did so. It was a moment of peace she let herself enjoy, her eyes half closed as she sat on one of the benches in the school's yard. Too occupied with her food, she failed to notice three girls who approached her, now surrounding the bench she was sitting on. She opened one of her eyes, eyeing the girls in front of her. Momoko quickly recognized one to be one of her classmates. Sharaku Mikage.

"Miyazawa-san" A visibly older girl addressed her, to which she was met with Momoko's blank expression. "I'm Okumura Chiyoko, it's nice to meet you", "Akiyama Shiori" They two girls whose name's she did not know briefly introduced themselves but their names were quickly forgotten as Momoko decided there was no point in memorizing the names of people she didn't plan to come in closer contact with in the near future. Without saying a word she let them ask her questions about Orihara to which she mostly responded with 'don't know' or 'nope'.

"Why do you follow him?" Momoko finally asked, her words seeming to pierce through them. The three of them shared a look, before the oldest one of them finally decided to speak.

"He's helped us all in tough situations. He's always been there for us...I can't express how thankful I am to Orihara-san." They all nodded before Okumura-san smiled cheekily to herself. "Also have you ever looked at him? He's so handsome!"

Momoko sent them a crooked smile, all the while saying "Well, so was Lucifer, and I hope you're not, trying to follow him too." She would always remember the looks on their faces after the words left her mouth.

"Freedom!" She heard one of her classmates cry out upon hearing the final school bell. The summer break had officially begun.

Making her way out of the almost empty classroom, her eyes spotted a familiar head with shaggy hair, standing next to two boys clad in the Raijin Academy's school-uniforms. Shinra was too busy talking to the two to notice his cousin. Kyohei turned around his eyes meeting hers as a small smile appeared on his face. Shizuo settled for a blank expression as he raised one of his eyebrows at the approaching girl.

"Oh! Momo-chan!" Shinra finally seemed to notice the girl, who now stood next to the blond, much taller boy.

"Let's just get out of here. I'm not wasting my summer in this hellhole, any longer" She said, passing right by her cousin, who could only shrug at her in response.

The first week of the summer break was surprisingly uneventful and what she would call pretty 'mundane'. Aside from Shinra being his usual weird self and her's and Celty's trips to various districts of Tokyo it really was mostly Momoko being bored out of her mind. She even went as far as to consider trying to hang out with Heiwajima or Kyohei and out of the uncertainty of the former's boy reaction she's settled for Kadota's company which proved to be one of the best ideas she's had in a long time.

Kadota was nice enough to introduce her to some of his friends from other schools. One of them being Togusa Saburo an older boy from Kushi Highschool.

Momoko sipped on her cool drink as she waited for the two boys who were probably still standing in the line at the grocery store. If not for the fact that she knew how slow the old cashier lady could be, she would've thought they were doing it out of spite to simply annoy her. She put a hand over her eyes, trying to hide from the blinding sun when suddenly someone appeared in front of her. Their shadow enveloping most of her petite form. She smiled in relief, assuming the shadow to come from the clouds that covered the sun.

"There you are, Momo-chan!" His chirpy yet unbelievably smug voice reached her ears and for a moment she really didn't want to open her eyes as she fought the urge to groan. When he didn't seem to move from his spot, her eyes snapped open, a frown forming itself on her face as she waited for him to speak. "I was looking for you." He began, a small smile appearing on his face." Shinra said you went out with your friends, which got me wondering because I never thought you had any," This time she let out a heavy groan to which he stayed unfazed while continuing on with his rant. "But anyway. I went to your house and surprise, surprise you weren't there. I know shocker. I asked Shinra but he didn't know where you might me - what a useless cousin by the way, what if something happened!" At least one thing she could agree on. "So I tracked your phone-"

"You did what?!" She all but asked in disbelief, cutting him off with a huff. This boy was insane, absolutely and utterly insane.

"It's not nice to interrupt others when they're talking, Momo-chan" He scolded her, clicking his tongue in fake annoyance. But she knew better than that. The boy was more than just amused by her reaction. In fact, he was fuming with energy to the point where he felt the need to show her how entertaining she was being as he smirked down at her.

"Unbelievable" She mumbled to herself to which he only let out a small laugh, raising his hands in a mock gesture.

"You know Momo-chan, your face looks really funny when you're annoyed, maybe I should do it more often"

"You already do!" She pinned him with a glare that didn't seem to particularly bother him. She then pointed a slender finger to his chest. "You know what else's funny-?" She was quickly cut off as the door to the grocery store opened, revealing an irritated duo, each of them holding a can of soda in hand. At first, they didn't seem to notice the pair standing under the wall bus as soon as they did Kyohei's eyes widened for a moment. He eyed the raven-haired boy, towering over Momoko and he could not help but compare him to a predator towering over his prey.

"Ah, Dota-chin!" Izaya quickly turned around, now facing the two boys in front of him. "Long time no see!" Kadota cringed inwardly at the nickname. "Togusa" Izaya added after a while, nodding at the other boy.

"Orihara-san" Kadota finally said, eyeing him suspiciously as if expecting a strike from him at any given chance. "What are you doing here?" Izaya smiled back at him and if Kyohei didn't know any better, he would've believed in it's sincerity.

"Just looking for a lost pet" If Izaya was able to feel the glare Momoko was sending his way, he chose to ignore it.

"Well, did you find it?" This time, the boy glanced back, his smile haunting as he stared back at the girl, whose expression never ceased to amuse him.

"I think I did" And with that said, he took a step back, passing by the girl "Well, I gotta bounce. See ya later Momo-chan!" Were his last words as he walked down the street, leaving the three of them to their own thoughts. To say that Kyohei felt concerned about Izaya's words was a huge understatement. The look in the other boy's eyes and the meaning behind his words proved to be successful in managing to unsettle him furthermore as he watched his figure disappear in the distance.

Momoko stared after him for a while, suddenly feeling the unpleasant warmness in her mouth. She snapped out of her haze, touching her lip with her hand only to reveal it to be covered with a red liquid.

"Miyazawa, you're bleeding" Saburo's voice fell upon deaf ears. She was so occupied by her thoughts she hadn't realized she'd been biting her lip this whole time. The taste of blood in her mouth felt almost nostalgic.

"I gotta go home. See ya later, guys." She said after a moment, not looking at either of them as she too left them to wonder.

She turned and tossed for the hundredth time this night, unable to fall asleep. Her mind was clouded with Izaya and the look he gave her in front of the grocery store. The look that awoke something in her. A desire to prove him wrong. A twisted sense of curiosity that told her that the boy knew more than one would expect from a mere highschooler. But then again Orihara Izaya was anything but a mere highschooler. Quite on the contrary, he seemed like someone who could have been involved with Yakuza and all the shady stuff that you'd expect from someone who enjoyed playing mind games. There was also the fact that peremamently removing Inoue-sensei- one of the main teachers- from the school was so easy for him. The day on the rooftop made her see a glimpse of the real reason why he was considered one of the most dangerous people at Raijin. It suddenly dawned upon her that there was more to him than one might think. People described him as a troublemaker and a mishevious boy who wasn't afraid to anger the strongest man, so called beast of Ikebukuro. But it wasn't all that he was, wasn't it? He was involved in bigger schemes and held more power than she'd previously expected. The kind of power that could help her in finding her father.

There was also the fact that the boy seemed to be somehow interested in her. Of course, he offered an explanation for that, or should she say an excuse or even a lie to get close to her. It all started when she helped him out with Heiwajima, but there was more to it, wasn't there? For someone who has encountered a ton of people who somehow had gotten caught in the crossfire of their fights, he seemed to be awfully interested in what one would call a completely normal girl who wasn't particularly known at Raijin. She most certainly wasn't the first one to talk and try to stop Shizuo. So why was he so caught up on her. Unless he knew why she was in Ikebukuro in the first place.

It made her want to decipher and unravel the depths of his twisted brain that somehow seemed to be involved with her past. And there was so much more and yet so little to what she wanted to know. For she knew that a simple confirmation of her previous thoughts would have been more than enough. For all she knew he could be a blessing in disguise, although she doubted it. Yet she knew something for certain: Even if he didn't know ynthing about her family, he most certainly had enough information to lead her in the right direction. And so it made Momoko ponder over their inexistent relationship and what it made her feel. A mix between acquaintances and yet to become rivals, nothing more, nothing less. In the game that she was about to enter Izaya was by all means the more experienced player. She would even go as far as to call him the one who made the rules but was also smart and cunning enough to avoid and be above them like a god.

To describe what kind of opponent Orihara was proved yet again to be a difficult task and yet there she was, trying to pinpoint not only his status in the game, but also her own. Momoko wasn't afraid of him, nervous and excited about his involvement in her personal life, most certainly. Afraid? Never. He who marched into her life as a complete stranger and had somehow taken interest in her was something to be certainly nervous about.

She rubbed her eyes, before closing them once again. The peace didn't last long as her eyes snapped opened for the hundredth time, now looking in the direction of her buzzing phone. She groaned internally but still reached for it with visible curiosity written all over her face. She opened her phone and was immediately greeted with the bright screen. She narrowed her eyes, the blinding brightness of the screen making it impossible to read anything. After her eyes had adjusted to the light, her gaze traveled to the clock that read 3 A.M and two unread messages. One being an older one from Kyohei asking her if she was okay to which she typed a quick reply, assuring the older boy that she was fine. Her eyes then slid to the second message that appeared to arrive a minute ago. It was from an unknown number. Who would be texting her at three in the morning?! She thought to herself. Although it came from an unknown number, she didn't need a name to know who it was from.

One being an older one from Kyohei asking her if she was okay to which she typed a quick reply, assuring the older boy that she was fine. Her eyes then slid to the second message that appeared to arrive a minute ago. It was from an unknown number. Who would be texting her at three in the morning?! She thought to herself. Although it came from an unknown number, she didn't need a name to know who it was from.

She re-read the message for what had to be the tenth time, before finally replying and clicking the 'send' button. As she lied in her bed that night, unable to fall asleep, the only thing that echoed through her mind were three words.

 _Sleep well, Momo-chan :)_

Izaya lied in his bed, looking at the message she had sent him _. You shouldn't have fed the stray dog, Orihara-san. It will keep coming back and at some point, it'll bite your hand._ For some reason, he found himself grinning at the screen, all this while getting more and more amused with every second. "But then again...you're more of a cat rather than a dog, now aren't you, Momo-chan?" He mused while laughing to himself in the darkness of his room.

* * *

 **(A/N): please tell me what you think! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Durarara! I do own my OCs though and any unrecognizable characters in the story. And the changes in the plot. Contains few prompt sentences I found on Tumblr.**

 _Listen, I know this one's a contradiction because of how happy it sounds_

 _But the lyrics are so down_

 _It's ok though, because it represents, wait better yet, it is_

 _Who I feel I am right now_

 _You are out of my mind, you aren't seeing my side_

 _You waste all this time trying to get to me_

 _But you are out of my mind_

 _\- Twenty One Pilots; Not Today_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4**

 **Be Concerned**

* * *

 _August 3rd, 2005_

Momoko's eyes shot open, still heavy and tired from lack of sleep. A deep frown set itself on her face as she scrunched her nose and narrowed her eyes in response to the overly bright sun's rays on her face. She did not remember falling asleep last night. The only thing that seemed to be forever imprinted in her mind were three words that devoured her unease. She figured she's must've passed out from exhaustion in the early morning hours and what finally managed to wake her up was the clamorous sound that could be easily mistaken for an explosion. She muttered a few obscurities under her breath before shutting her eyes closed once again. This time a shriek - that sounded very much like her cousin - echoed through the small house. Ignoring it, she buried herself under another pillow as if the helpless cries were nothing but an inconvenience.

"Celty, please! It's not like that at all! I didn't know you were showering- ow!" A loud thud followed suit behind and Momoko could only groan in frustration. The brunette rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as a small yawn escaped her lips. She really didn't want to get up today. As she lay there in complete and utter silence, brooding and forcing herself to get out of bed, her phone buzzed, signalizing the arrival of a new message.

Upon hearing it, her eyes almost immediately shot to the small device, lying on the ground beside her bed. For a moment, Momoko found herself hesitating. Should she read it? Who was it from? Was it from Orihara? The questions were quickly silenced by another message. This time, her hand quickly grabbed the cell phone, opening it with one swift move. Relieved to see Kyohei's name pop up on the screen, she also felt a twinge of anxiousness. Since when was Orihara letting her have the last word?

Despite her desire to use Orihara and find out the truth about her family's role in the underground, Momoko was still reluctant, wondering whether it was a good idea in the first place. Should she step off the board before it was too late? Would Izaya let her go if she did or was she completely and utterly doomed? He, of all people didn't seem like someone who'd give up a challenge that easily. Should she use someone else instead? Should she use anyone at all? Her eyes then snapped to the cocntact name on her phone. Kadota Kyohei. He seemed to know Izaya quite well, as if he was somehow involved with him. Was he just like her? Or maybe was he one of Izaya's pawns. But still he seemed like a good guy. He was one of her few 'only' friends. But did she feel attached to him? Would she consider him someone she could fully trust? Or was he just another faceless figure in the crowd?

While Kadota seemed to be the safest option in gathering the needed information, she could not help but see the benefit of entering a game with Izaya. From what she's seen and heard from her cousin Orihara believed himself above everyone else as if he were a god. A being much more resistant to emotional pain, a being whose feelings could not be hurt. Someone who seemed to be watching the world from behind the glass that made it impossible for the observer to get too attached to their environment and other people. But was it all true? Or was it a mere excuse for Momoko, to simply justify her selfish wishes and desires of holding onto the challenge and use his own game against him. Or to simply use someone who she knew was mercillesly neutral when it came to the outcome of his plans. She wanted to know what was his involvement in the underhround sheme of things. She needed the information, no matter what it took.

But he was still human. A very powerful and dangerous human at that. And thus she found herself hesitating once again. No, she could not do it. She wasn't like her family. It was a huge mistake to provoke the boy and she could not deny that the regret of pressing the 'send' button was eating her alive. Despite her desire to find out the truth, she knew that it was risky, not only becasue of Orihara himself but also becasue of her mother who she knew would go to great lenghts to ensure that her daughter never found out what's happened to her father. But the challenge has been accepted, the board has been set and to Momoko's poor luck it was too late to exit now. And so she needed to be careful. As much as she wanted to cut to the chase and ask him about it, she knew that that kind of strategy wouldn't work on someone as cunning and as experienced like Izaya. For she knew that Orihara expected more from someone who dared to challenge the master mannipulator himself. If she was going to succedd, she had to plan out every move and most importantly follow all of his own.

 _'Hey, are you still up for the picnic?'_ She reread the message, for a moment not being able to register anything. Widening her eyes, she shot up from her bed in a matter of seconds. How could she forget? Without having the time to reply she ventured into the bathroom, ready to take a quick shower, before putting on some clothes.

"I'm going out!" She yelled, before exiting the house. Celty didn't have time to say anything before the girl was already out of the door. 'Sighing' to herself, the headless woman turned to the knocked-out Shinra who lay sprawled across the kitchen floor. This was going to be a hard day.

As soon as the door behind her closed, Momoko was met with a lukewarm, summer breeze that caressed her pink cheeks with a soft manner. The second her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight, she strolled down to the small wooden gate, grasping the handle with her right hand. Walking through the gate, she failed to notice a smirking boy, who seemed to be leaning himself against the ivy-covered fence. Upon seeing the girl, his eyes sparkled with amusement. Straightening his form, he wondered whether she was ignoring him or if she really didn't notice him. Either way, he trailed after her, his steps quickly adapting to the same pace as they silently hit the pavement.

Mesmerized and slightly irked by the lack of any reaction from the girl in front of him, he let out an amused snicker. "Your little act is getting boring, Momo-chan" His overly cheerful and yet whiny voice reached her ears and just like that her whole body quivered, freezing in place before once again straightening her posture as she quickly turned around to meet his gaze. Her mouth opened as if to say something, before quickly shutting it once again. How could she not notice him, before? She cursed herself for not being more aware of her surroundings.

Izaya walked up to her, a smug grin still plastered all over his face as if it was as much a part of him like his insanity. He eyed her with the same excitement a mad man would feel, as he waited for her next words. But to his further amusement, she didn't say anything. Without a word, Momoko turned around and simply walked away. Izaya raised one of his eyebrows, laughing to himself as he once again followed her, this time walking beside her. "Oh, c'mon! Don't ignore me like that!" He mused. He eyed her once again but his patronizing gaze only earned him a mere side glance and a raised eyebrow.

Momoko fought the urge to run, faking the stoicism as she walked alongside him. What has she gotten herself into? She pondered to herself as a small frown formed itself on her forehead. She eyed Izaya from the corner of her eye, his eyes flashing challengingly down at her as if trying to draw out a reaction from the much shorter girl. She let out a shaky breath that unfortunately didn't go unnoticed under his penetrating gaze. She wondered whether it was due to her annoyment or the anxiety she felt around the boy. Maybe it was both.

"Listen, Orihara-san-" She finally snapped stopping in front of him, her eyes never leaving his calculating ones. Her voice was steady, much steadier than she'd expected. 'Carful' she repeated the words in her head like a mantra.

"No need to be so formal, Momo-chan" He waved her off, cutting her before she had a chance to say anything. "Call me Izaya-kun!"

" _Orihara-san_ " She continued as if he hadn't just interrupted her - this time putting an even bigger emphasis on his last name. Izaya's grin wavered for a second. She wasn't sure whether it was caused by displeasure or entertainment. As soon as it appeared he quickly hid his irritation behind a mask. This was going to be much harder than he'd originally expected. Despite everything, Izaya could not help but feel the excitement swell inside him as she once again pinned him with a hard stare. Maybe her being difficult wasn't going to be so bad. What was the fun in getting everything so easily? "I _really_ don't have time for this." She said, sounding rather exasperated in his opinion. But the lingering threat and stern expression didn't slide unnoticed under his analyzing stare.

"Oh, don't tell me you have plans" A small smirk emerged on his amused and yet somehow intrigued face. "A date perhaps?" Upon hearing his snicker, she fought the urge to groan. "And here I was, _really thinking_ that you didn't have any friends! Let alone a secret lover~" He hummed, sounding more as if he were talking to himself rather than to her. Not wanting to waste any more time, she turned on her heel and once again walked away. Izaya's laughter followed suit behind. He was clearly making fun of her and yet she chose not to say anything.

 _'Who's acting like a dog_ _now_ ' She thought to herself as he once again caught up to her in one swift move. She had to act oblivious to the intentions behind his words. But then again it was a little too like for that now, now wasn't it? Despite her infuriation she didn't voice her thoughts, choosing to ignore him as he quickly resumed marching next to her. She really shouldn't have provoked him with that message. Maybe pretending that she wasn't aware of their little game would be a better idea, after all. Still, a part of her was wondering what he was thinking. Did he even read it? Why was he acting as if nothing had happened? Was he waiting for a better opportunity to mention it and taunt her? The questions left her with a bitter taste in her mouth as they walked in silence, each of them wondering what the other one was thinking about.

 _Spring 1999_

"You need to focus, Momoko!" The nine-year-old winced, her hands on her knees, looking at her feet "Keep going!" Momoko looked up, trying to even out her rapid breathing for she knew that she could not disappoint her family, let alone her mother.

Nakamura Hitomi was a woman that many would call a worthy opponent and business partner to some of the most powerful people in Japan. Her hard-working and strict, yet rewarding nature - of course, if everything was going according to her plans - was something that her daughter feared and admired at the same time and therefore the nine-year-old wanted nothing more but to make her mother proud. She was also one of the best known prosecutors in Tokyo, if not in all of Japan and thus she was someone who didn't partcularly like to admit to her mistakes, even if the it was far from the truth. What mattered were the results and the success that came with it.

Truly, the last thing Momoko wanted to do was disappoint her further than she already did. For she knew that this time, her mother wouldn't be nearly as forgiving as the last time. And while Hitomi was aware of her daughter's young age and brittle and fragile body she was a woman who always presented herself and those under her wings as mighty and strong-willed individuals who were not afraid to do anything in their power to win.

But despite her desire to raise to her mother's expectations, Momoko could not deny that the exercises were getting harder with each lesson and as much and as hard as she tried, she couldn't follow them all.

"Momoko!" She snapped back to reality, the voice reaching her ears. She closed her eyes, not wanting to face his, what she thought must have been a disappointed face.

"I can't do it, Noboru" She avoided his eyes, focusing on the ground underneath her shaking feet. "I'm not good enough, I'm not smart enough...that's why mother hates me" The last part was a mere whisper but Noboru heard her loud and clear, as he was suddenly down beside her, grasping her shoulders as if he was afraid to let her go. The girl didn't want to meet his gaze, even when he yanked her forward and forced her to look at him.

"Don't ever think like that!" He shout-whispered and for a moment he sounded more concerned than angry. "Your mother loves you and your brother more than anything else in this world. And all those lessons?" Momoko finally dared to meet the older man's kind eyes. "They're supposed to make sure that one day you'll be as smart and as experienced like your mother" He smiled half-heartedly and at that moment she wanted nothing more than to believe him. But then again, how could she?

"Ichirou is different," She said in a small voice that soon turned into an angry snarl "He's better at everything and he doesn't even have to try!" She felt Noboru's hands cup her face as he met her angry yet confused face. From this up close she didn't fail to notice the dark circles under the young man's eyes. For a moment it was her turn to look concerned but as soon as his voice reached her ears, she turned her attention back to the conversation.

"Your brother-"

" _Step brother,"_ She cut him off, earning herself yet another half-hearted smile.

"He's also older than you, Momo-chan" The nickname rolled off of his tongue in an attempt at trying to melt the frown on her face. "He's been studying since he was eight, for god's sake! Of course, he'd be better than you by now!" She seemed to consider what the older man said before muttering a quick 'yeah' as a small smile tugged at his lips.

"Because lemme tell ya, kiddo, if he hadn't been a pro by now, I would really think there was something wrong with him" She laughed at that and although the maelstrom in her head didn't seem to calm down, she nodded her head. Nonetheless, she looked him in the eye as if making sure he was telling the truth and saw nothing but sincerity. Seeing her nod Noboru let out a sigh of relief, running a hand through his dark hair.

"Alright, kid" He tousled her hair, grinning down at her with the same crooked smile she's learned to grow fond of over the years. His dark eyes sparkled with amusement at the pout on her face. Oh, how she hated when he messed up her hair like that. "Take a break, we'll resume the lessons tomorrow" She nodded once again, a feeling of emptiness spreading itself inside of her at the sight of him standing up and walking away.

He was leaving her alone once again. For once, she wished he had truly been a part of her family. As if sensing her sadness he turned around sending a playful stern look in her direction. "And don't be late, missy"

She couldn't help but feel a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, for she knew that he would come back tomorrow.

 _August 3rd, 2005_

"You're really quiet for someone who looks like they're going to explode from anger." Izaya mused, eyeing the shorter girl beside him. "Don't tell me you're anything like that monster" His voice was friendly but as she eyed him from the corner of her eye it seemed like the small smile on his face didn't quite reach his eyes. Once again she chose not to reply.

"I know, I know, you're ignoring me" He sighed, the amusement and slight irritation almost undepictable in his even-sounding voice. "But it's so mean to ignore someone who saved your life! two times at that!" No response, another agonizing sigh from Izaya, and she could already feel her eyes rolling into the back of her head.

"I've heard that people had been asking you about me while I was gone" It was obvious he was trying to draw a reaction out of her. "Isn't that incredible how quickly a rumor can be spread? Humans are so interesting, always wanting to know and invest themselves in other people's lives, it's kinda pathetic really" Her eye twitched at that. Because he was the one to talk. What a hypocrite. What was he trying to say, anyway? "I didn't think they'd come up with the idea that we're dating, but oh well-"

"WHAT?!" She screeched, the sound of laughter reaching her ears not long after that.

"I knew you were listening! You're not very good at ignoring people, aren't you Momo-chan" She stopped in her tracks, glaring at him. "Don't worry, I was joking but wouldn't it be great to see their reactions?" He grinned down at her. "Yours was-"

"Shut the hell up" She muttered under her breath, meeting his vibrant gaze almost immediately "And stop following me!" His unruly eyes watched her with great interest before a small smile set itself on his lips.

"Oh but weren't you the one who said that if you feed the stray, it'll keep coming back?" He asked, his smile never faltering. Momoko's eyes narrowed in suspicion and mild annoyance.

"I was joking" She lied through gritted teeth. It didn't sound convincing even to her so she didn't bother trying to sound nonchalant.

"That's a lie" He stated, coming closer as a grin spread itself on his handsome face. "Why so defensive all of a sudden, Momo-chan?" His grin grew wider with every word and every step he took. "Did I hit a nerve?"

"I'm not-"

"Lies, lies, lies" He cut her off. "I did hit a nerve, didn't I?" Momoko opened her mouth as if to say something or protest further but before she had a chance his voice rang in her ears. "Did you change your mind?" He taunted, taking another step in her direction as she refused to back down, no matter what. "Are you perhaps, ah, what's the word..." He wondered aloud but she knew it was all a mere act. "Ah right , that's the one I was looking for...embarrassed" He finished, his eyes never leaving hers. She could feel his stare getting more excited with each second.

The next thing she felt was his breath hitting her face and she was once again reminded of two bodies pressed into each other in a dark alley. His scent engulfed her like a cloud of bad luck and Momoko found herself holding her breath as their eyes met for the thousandth time this day. "Oh, look! You're getting red already" He laughed mockingly. "Or are you blushing Momo-chan? Am I making you nervous?" He was definitely too close for her liking. She pinned him down with a hard stare but Izaya didn't seem to mind in the latest. If anything, he seemed to find it enthralling.

"Are you not used to boys being this close to you?" Momoko narrowed her eyes, trying to sustain her visible irritation. "I'd say it's cute or even adorable... but then again you could get the wrong idea, now wouldn't you? Because you see, Momoko-" The sound of her full name made her freeze as a cold shiver ran down her spine. She could see it in his eyes, he was serious. "I love all humans, I don't play favorites."

The next thing she did was something neither she nor Izaya saw coming. So when she found her hands pinning him to the ground as she tackled him, Momoko didn't waste any time on wondering whether it was a good idea in the first place. Izaya's eyes widened for a second, clearly not expecting the sudden attack.

"You're sick" She breathed out, her voice void of any emotion besides traces of pity. He frowned at that. Orihara Izaya didn't need anyone's pity and so he decided to focus his gaze on the crease in between her eyebrows and the short dark hair that cupped her face instead of her stormy eyes.

"I hope you're not this violent on a regular basis, Momo-chan" He teased, amusement dancing on his face as his whole demeanor seemed to shift in mere seconds. "Be careful or I might start comparing you to that dog Shizu-chan" The lingering threat in his voice never ceased to send bolts of anxiety and excitement through her body as an unpleasant shiver ran down her spine. For she knew exactly how the boy dealt with Heiwajima-san.

Breaking the eye contact, she hoisted herself up only to be yanked back down to her previous, if not even closer position. "But then again..." Izaya continued. His grip on her arm was becoming painful but once again she refused to give him the satisfaction of being able to hurt her so easily. "You're more of a stray kitten" Momoko fought the urge to gag as the same wicked grin that she was slowly getting used to made itself visible on his demonic face.

"I thought you were only interested in humans" She smiled, using his own words against him before deciding to go along and try to make him taste his own medicine only for her smile to falter when his reply reached her ears.

"Oh, but I always wanted to have a pet" Izaya eyed her, smirking inwardly at the sight in front of him. She was fuming with anger and yet somehow managed to stay surprisingly composed, stoic even.

"You really are insane" Her reply was short and exactly what he expected her to say after that harmless joke he'd made. But then again, seeing her visible irritation he wasn't sure himself whether it was a mere joke anymore. On the other hand, Momoko eyed him with disgust for the last time before removing his cold hand from her arm. She then stood up, free of his grip, before walking away without as much as a second glance back.

"See you tomorrow, then, Momo-chan" She heard him yell after her before his voice faded into a silent echo in her head.

 _'Pathetic_ ' She thought to herself, before dialing Kyohei's number as she disappeared around the next corner. Even after that, she could still feel his lingering eyes on the back of her head.

 _October 2003_

It's that bastard isn't it?!" The young girl pressed herself up against the door, listening. No sound from the hall. And no light but the thin line that crept under the crack of the door. She could hear her mother's associate angry voice. "I'm telling you Hitomi! That girl, she and her poor excuse of a father are too much alike! Don't you see that?!"

"Calm down, Gorou-" Her mother's voice was calm and composed, compared to the flaring man in front of her. "She hadn't been in contact with Minoru since she was five"

"Oh please, it doesn't matter if she doesn't remember him! I'm telling you it's his genes, her heritage, her legacy, whatever it is that's keeping her from obeying!" Momoko narrowed her eyes at that, clenching her hands into tight fists. How dare he blame this on her father. Truth be told Momoko didn't know much about Miyazawa Minoru to begin with but from what she's remembered, he was a good man. A good father.

"Third time this month she did that! Third! And tell you what, Noboru didn't even say anything!"

"I'll talk to Noboru and he will take care of it" Came her mother's yet another stoic sounding reply. Momoko's eyes widened at that, her hands began to shake slightly in what seemed to be suppressed anger, knowing that despite everything she did to earn her mother's attention she was met with not even as much as a scolding. Instead of talking to her daughter herself, Hitomi once again had more important thing to take care of. It was as if she felt nothing for her youngest child. Still, her mother's calm voice didn't fool her even for a second. She knew that Hitomi wasn't mad, no, her mother was disappointed in her and that was even worse than having to deal with the woman's anger. Or anything, at that point.

With a blank expression, Momoko slowly backed off, turning around as she walked through the dark house and straight into her room.

 _August 3rd 2005_

Coming to the picnic, Kyohei didn't expect his day would get ruined after one of the bums from a local gang decided it would be a fantastic idea to try and rob them out of their food. Which of course led to a fight and that led to him walking down the street, on his way home. Togusa already left with the rest, after one of his classmates - Shouta, he believed was his name - got punched in the face. Of course, Saburo tried to offer Kyohei a lift home but the other boy declined, saying it would be best if they took care of Shouta first.

He was deep in thought wondering whether the other kid was alright when suddenly his cell phone went off. Looking at the caller's ID, he managed a small smile. "Hey, what's up?" He answered. For a moment the person on the other line was silent as if hesitating.

"Where are you?" The voice one the other line asked. He was taken aback by her tone but quickly recovered, his voice getting lower.

"I'm going home, the picnic got ruined by some slackers trying to be cool," He said evenly, his voice void of any irritation. One would think he would be more annoyed about what happened, but once again Kadota managed to stay composed throughout the whole experience. "Were you just going there?" He then asked, realizing that maybe that's why she called him.

"I-yeah I was-" She hesitated for a moment. "Well then, I should probably go home too-"

"Miyaz- Uh Momoko" He corrected himself, remembering her telling him that it was okay to call her that. Still, it was the first time he actually decided to call her by her first name and therefore he could not help but feel a little bit awkward. Her heart skipped a beat at that. Her name sounded so foreign on his tongue. So different, compared to Orihara saying it earlier. For there was no malice in Kyohei's voice and Momoko could not help but be glad as his next question reached her ears. "Are you okay? You sound a little bit" He trailed "...Was it Izaya?" She didn't say anything and he took her silence as a 'yes'.

"Let's not talk about him" Kyohei frowned at that. The reply was short and seemed almost angry. He wasn't sure how he knew it, for her voice didn't betray any emotion. "I gotta go-" She said after a long minute of silence. "I'll call Cel- uh _a friend_ to pick me up, I..thank you Kado-" She gulped, quickly correcting herself. "-Kyohei" Despite his concern Kyohei felt a warm feeling spread inside him as she also decided to call him by his first name. It meant they were friends, now.

"Alright," He said, exchanging quick goodbyes before hanging up. He wanted to help her, since he knew how challenging it was to keep up with Izaya's mind games, but there was nothing that he could do to prevent the inevitable. Yes, he could try and stir the course a little bit but there was nothing he could do in the long run.

Kadota Kyohei was the type of a friend everyone internally longed for. It didn't matter whether the person surrounded themselves with ignorance and rainbows or the thrilling danger and delinquents such as Orihara Izaya - Kadota was one of those people who resembled guardian angels, always ready to pull you out if the matters became too big for one to handle. But even he could not defy everyone, especially when they all seemed to be against a couple of his own. And everyone knew that despite the trouble Izaya often brought with him - as well as being a rookie, mainly introduced by Kine - he was still useful in the eyes of the Undergrounders and the Awakusu-kai.

And so Kyohei knew from the beginning it would be hard to play the role of a guardian angel, this time - But still, he chose to call two people who might of as well be described as mentally unstable. Of course, when it came to fighting and talking about things he did not understand, that is.

 _August 4th, 2005_

 _See you tomorrow -_ Those were the words that seemed to be forever imprinted into her memory like a lost case you could not possibly win. It was slowly succumbing into an obsession and thus it had to be an absurd to replay them over and over again in one's head - in this case, in Miyazawa Momoko's still young and yet not so naive mind. It truly was something. _He_ truly was _something._ For once, she fought the urge to close her eyes, for she knew that the moment she did, her mind would once again be engulfed in the images of him - just like her ears would hear his voice becoming louder and louder, replaying those three words till the moment she saw him again.

How could one person be so unnerving, so capable of plagiarising her mind with words as simple as those. Maybe it was because she knew what they meant, that he would come back today and then repeat the same warning, that could easily be mistaken for a promise between two friends who were used to seeing each other every day. And in some ways, it was a promise. Not the most innocent one, out there, but a promise nevertheless.

But she had yet to learn that Orihara did not lie as much a people wanted him to. And while he most certainly was cunning, apathetic and what one would simply put it 'unreliable' in many - if not all aspects - while knowing how to deceive successfully with a kind smile on his angel-like face - he took an interest in humans. And thus he was going to stay true to his word and irk her all the while enjoying the show. But then again, maybe she was overthinking it. He could have said that to make her think he'd come.

That was probably the worst characteristic about him. And to say that she hated it, would be a sore understatement. Because not until he let you through that wall of his, one could never know how he'd react and how he'd play the game. Or the worst of them all, no one knew for sure what he was really feeling. What she could tell was that despite everything he'd do, it would always play in his favor at the end. That it would and _will_ always put him on a god-like pedestal. And while it might crumble along the way, it would never fall apart from underneath his feet, making sure he'd be the one left standing. And he would stand and watch what's in his hold. For Izaya would go through no ends to set the world on fire and watch it burn like his name was The Joker.

But despite, how god-like he believed himself to be, he was as much - if not more of a human as she was. And while no wanting to compare two different - and yet so similar people - there was no denying that while the boy tried so hard to get rid of his emotions - putting on a mask of self-preservation - she on the other could abandon them with little to no effort like a switch button that she depended on. And in some ways, it was her way of self-preservation too - a nasty habit that the two of them feared to let go of and yet wished they didn't have to deal with. But then again, that particular difference between them had yet to be discovered. And while neither of them was yet aware of what that one particular habit could lead to, the game had already started. And as everyone had already predicted, there was no going back.


End file.
